Intro
There are moments on nearly every building or renovation project when a standard drill simply will not fit. You need to bore a hole for a cable run between two close-set joists, drive a screw inside a kitchen cabinet where the back wall is only a hand's width from the fixing point, or drill into a stud through a narrow access hatch. These situations eat up time, test your patience, and too often end with a chewed-up screw head or a hole drilled at an awkward angle. A right-angle drill is the tool designed specifically for these tight-access jobs. By placing the chuck at 90 degrees to the motor body, it lets you work in spaces where a conventional pistol-grip drill would need several extra centimetres of clearance that simply are not there. When you add a brushless motor and an 18-volt battery platform, you also get more torque, longer runtime, and the ability to share batteries across an entire ecosystem of tools — making the right-angle drill not just a specialist problem-solver, but a genuinely powerful addition to a professional cordless kit.
Generalities
Choosing a right-angle drill means thinking about more than just the head angle. The motor type is one of the biggest factors: brushless motors run cooler, last longer, and deliver more torque per watt than their brushed counterparts, which matters when you are driving long screws or boring holes in hardwood without the motor bogging down. Chuck size is another practical consideration — a 10 mm (⅜ inch) keyless chuck handles most bits you will use in tight spaces, but if your work regularly calls for larger hole saws or auger bits, you may want a model with a bigger capacity. The battery platform is equally important: if you already own tools from an 18-volt system like RYOBI ONE+, buying a bare tool from the same range means your existing batteries and charger work straight away with no extra cost. Finally, look at the overall length — a truly compact right-angle drill with a head under 10 cm long can slip into gaps that even other angle drills struggle to reach.
In this review we examine the RYOBI ONE+ HP 18V Compact Brushless Right Angle Drill, a tool-only offering that slots into the vast RYOBI ONE+ ecosystem of over 260 cordless tools. We will cover its brushless motor performance, two-speed gearbox, ultra-compact head design, and what it is like to use day-to-day in real tight-access scenarios. We will also break down the pros, cons, and best use cases to help you decide whether this is the right addition to your ONE+ collection.
Description
The RYOBI ONE+ HP 18V Compact Brushless Right Angle Drill (model PSBRA02B) is powered by a brushless motor that produces up to 350 inch-pounds of torque — roughly 40 Newton metres — which puts it in a different league from smaller 12-volt angle drills. It runs on any RYOBI ONE+ 18-volt lithium-ion battery and offers a two-speed gearbox with a low range of 0 to 450 RPM for controlled screwdriving and a high range of 0 to 1,700 RPM for faster drilling. The 10 mm (⅜ inch) single-sleeve keyless chuck has a knurled grip pattern that makes bit changes easy even with gloved or greasy hands, and the brushless motor means less internal friction, longer motor life, and more efficient use of battery charge.
Where this drill truly distinguishes itself is in its size. The head measures just 9.2 cm from the back of the chuck to the rear of the gear housing — one of the shortest right-angle heads in the 18-volt class — which means it can squeeze between joists and into stud bays that would defeat bulkier competitors. The overall tool length is 29.2 cm and it weighs approximately 1.29 kg without a battery, so it is light enough for overhead work and extended one-handed use. The variable-speed trigger is positioned for comfortable access from multiple grip angles, and the two-speed switch lets you toggle between precision and speed without reaching for a different tool.
On the job, the brushless motor immediately shows its worth. In low gear at 450 RPM, the drill drives long construction screws into hardwood studs with steady torque and no stalling. In high gear at 1,700 RPM, it spins through pilot holes and lighter drilling tasks quickly. The right-angle format means you can drive fixings inside kitchen cabinets, between floor joists, or behind dashboard panels without the tool body fouling against an adjacent surface. Because it is part of the RYOBI ONE+ system, the same batteries that power your circular saw, impact driver, or work light slot straight into this drill — no new charger, no new battery platform to invest in.
This listing is for the bare tool only — the drill body comes without a battery or charger, so it is aimed squarely at users who already have RYOBI ONE+ batteries on hand. It includes a user manual, and RYOBI backs the tool with a 3-year manufacturer's warranty. The single-sleeve chuck with its knurled surface is a small but thoughtful detail: when you are wedged into an awkward position and need to swap from a drill bit to a driver bit, the extra grip makes the difference between a smooth swap and a fumble.
At 9.1 × 6.4 × 29.2 cm and 1.29 kg, the drill is compact enough to live permanently in a tool bag without hogging space. With 4.7 out of 5 stars from nearly 600 customer reviews and a ranking of #326 in Drill Drivers, it enjoys strong user satisfaction in a competitive segment. The 3-year warranty provides peace of mind, and the brushless motor should deliver years of reliable service — particularly valuable in a specialist tool that gets used heavily on certain jobs and sits idle on others.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Brushless motor delivers up to 40 Nm of torque — enough power to drive long construction screws and bore through hardwood without stalling, far outperforming most 12-volt angle drills
- Head length of just 9.2 cm is one of the shortest in the 18-volt class — slips into stud bays, between joists, and inside cabinets that defeat longer-bodied competitors
- Two-speed gearbox (0–450 / 0–1,700 RPM) gives you low-speed control for precise screwdriving and high-speed pace for drilling — no need to carry a second drill
- Part of the RYOBI ONE+ ecosystem of over 260 tools — if you already own ONE+ batteries and a charger, this bare tool slots straight into your kit with zero extra platform cost
- Knurled single-sleeve chuck provides excellent grip for bit changes even when your hands are sweaty or you are wearing work gloves in an awkward position
- Variable-speed trigger with comfortable multi-position grip lets you operate the tool one-handed at arm's length without the trigger finger stretching uncomfortably
- Backed by a 3-year manufacturer's warranty — significantly longer than the standard 1-year cover on many competing power tools
- Weighs just 1.29 kg bare — light enough for sustained overhead or outstretched-arm use without fatigue setting in halfway through the job
Cons
- Sold as a bare tool with no battery or charger — only cost-effective if you are already invested in the RYOBI ONE+ battery platform
- 10 mm chuck capacity limits you to standard bits — larger hole saws, spade bits above 25 mm, and SDS-format accessories will not fit
- Plastic body construction, while keeping weight down, does not feel as indestructible as an all-metal gear housing — repeated hard drops onto concrete could cause cracks
- Fixed right-angle head (unlike some competitors with pivoting heads) means you cannot adjust the angle — what you get is 90 degrees, which is great for most jobs but limiting in a few edge cases
- No hammer function — it is strictly a drill and driver, so masonry, brick, and concrete are off the menu unless you switch to a different tool
Use cases
An 18-volt brushless right-angle drill built for trade professionals and serious DIYers who already use the RYOBI ONE+ platform and need a powerful, ultra-compact tool for drilling and driving in spaces where a full-size drill cannot physically fit.
Kitchen and Bathroom Fitting
Assembling carcasses, adjusting hinges, and driving worktop connector bolts all happen inside cabinets where there is barely enough room for your hand, let alone a conventional drill. The 9.2 cm head length slips into the tightest corners, and the brushless motor provides consistent torque for driving screws fully home without the bit camming out on the final turn because it was not sitting square.
Drilling Between Joists and Studs
Running cables, pipes, or ducting through a floor or wall cavity often means drilling access holes in a gap barely wider than the drill bit itself. The ultra-compact head and 1,700 RPM top speed let you bore cable holes through joists cleanly and quickly, while the two-speed gearbox gives you the low-RPM control needed to start holes accurately in awkward overhead positions.
Decking and Fence Board Fixing
When fixing deck boards close to a wall or screwing fence panels where the post is already set, the right-angle format lets you drive fixings square into the timber without the drill body fouling against the adjacent surface. The brushless motor's 40 Nm of torque sinks long decking screws into pressure-treated timber without pause.
Automotive Interior and Engine Bay Work
Removing and replacing trim panels, mounting aftermarket accessories behind the dashboard, or accessing fasteners in a cramped engine bay all demand a tool that fits where a full-size drill cannot. The variable-speed trigger and compact head make the PSBRA02B a practical choice for mechanics and car enthusiasts who already own ONE+ batteries for their other workshop tools.
Electrical First and Second Fix
Fixing back boxes inside stud walls, securing consumer unit tails, and drilling cable routes through joists in lofts and under-stair cupboards are all tasks where the right-angle head pays for itself. The compact body and comfortable trigger position mean you can work in dark, cramped spaces with one hand while holding a torch or cable with the other.